netfilter: nft_flow_offload: drop flowtable reference on init error path
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: nft_flow_offload: drop flowtable reference on init error path nft_flow_offload_init() bumps the flowtable use count with nft_use_inc() before calling nf_ct_netns_get(). When the latter fails, the error is returned as-is and the reference is leaked. The upper layers do not balance it either: nf_tables_newexpr() clears expr->ops when the expression init callback fails, so the nft_expr_more() iteration in nft_rule_expr_deactivate() and nf_tables_rule_destroy() stops right before the failed expression and its ->destroy callback, which would drop the reference, never runs. Each failed rule addition therefore leaks one flowtable reference and the flowtable can no longer be removed: NFT_MSG_DELFLOWTABLE keeps reporting -EBUSY even though no rule references it. Save the nf_ct_netns_get() return value and undo the nft_use_inc() when it fails, restoring the inc/dec pairing within nft_flow_offload_init() itself.
CVE-2026-98851
Primary source · Revision 1
Imported from structured advisory data. Source references identify upstream records or fields; verify affected versions and your deployed configuration.
Security context
Source reference: cve:CVE-2026-98851
Linux
Source reference: /containers/cna/affected/0/product
- Affected versions
- Not stated in this record
- Fixed versions
- Not stated in this record
- Prerequisites
- Not stated in this record
Linux
Source reference: /containers/cna/affected/1/product
- Affected versions
- Not stated in this record
- Fixed versions
- Not stated in this record
- Prerequisites
- Not stated in this record
Structured affected-version data
Original package identities and version rules from this source.
[
{
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"product": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "a3c90f7a2323b331ae816d5b0633e68148e25d04",
"lessThan": "1d27214fd9a4d2c0c6d998fc9d4fb61448a3438e",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "a3c90f7a2323b331ae816d5b0633e68148e25d04",
"lessThan": "64ac0cb574c740bf723affb79b646eeba920db6b",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "a3c90f7a2323b331ae816d5b0633e68148e25d04",
"lessThan": "c5f91098edee98c015f78488460a0609e62582a5",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "a3c90f7a2323b331ae816d5b0633e68148e25d04",
"lessThan": "4cd378423a33194a773c267fc58606d28fce95cf",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "a3c90f7a2323b331ae816d5b0633e68148e25d04",
"lessThan": "747928b5d4ff8c8de55138a54c13980e4bb88578",
"versionType": "git"
}
],
"programFiles": [
"net/netfilter/nft_flow_offload.c"
],
"defaultStatus": "unaffected"
},
{
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"product": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "4.16"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "0",
"lessThan": "4.16",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.6.160",
"versionType": "semver",
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.6.*"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.12.113",
"versionType": "semver",
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.18.56",
"versionType": "semver",
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "7.2.10",
"versionType": "semver",
"lessThanOrEqual": "7.2.*"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "7.3",
"versionType": "original_commit_for_fix",
"lessThanOrEqual": "*"
}
],
"programFiles": [
"net/netfilter/nft_flow_offload.c"
],
"defaultStatus": "affected"
}
]- Related CVEs
- CVE-2026-98851
Source reference:
/cveMetadata/cveId
Publisher severity
No explicit severity was provided.
- Event
- #49006 · Revision 1
- Added to Heist Feed
- Publisher date